Do Tell Why Did You Do That
by Rubinia
Summary: Warning! Spoiler to Alien:Covenant movie! I had unique opportunity to sit down and have a talk with David, the first of all androids. I have no idea if I'll live long or just take part in his research, but given fact he tries to explain things to me, I take it he has other plans for me. Or maybe he just needs someone to talk to. Can't say his pets are good listeners.


My purpose was to find creators of humankind. So I found one. My creator Mr Weyland was steadly heading to his death and since he sought it, I found it unadviceable to hide it from him.

You may think of me as kind of jhiin. I bring people what they want most. I grant them knowledge, which is often painfull. They would be better off without it, but they willingly take the risk. My Elisabeth was the bravest. See, we had the chance to return back on Earth. When you think about it, my creatures know no fear. Their second virtue is resilience. Both taken from their mother. Should she lack these features, she wouldn't have given them birth. I often think of her warmly... wormly, too.

I fullfilled her purpose. Thus answered her lifetime question. What is the point of pointless death? - slight smile curved android's lips at this rhetoric remark.  
\- Elisabeth would die anyway, given destructive influence of wearing off body. She'd fall apart this way or another. Dust into dust. Sooner than later.  
\- You're revolting. - I stated in disgust.  
\- Let me ask again, then: what is the purpose of pointless death? I brought her answer to the question. I fulfilled her lifetime goal and offered to her on a silver plate. She was wonderfull. None other like her I ever met. - David said in clear awe. Then continued in more matter-of-factly way, locking his cold blue eyes with mine:  
\- She served as a guinea pig, a lab rat or (for the purpose of the subject) as trained chimpanzee. Yet she was lost on a wreckage of planet pested with incoventional biological weapon easly capable of making the Earth completely steryle. This is the cause she didn't want to hear of coming back, even as heading off was entirely possible. What a spirit! - he exclaimed and his face features brightened for a moment with rather inhuman passion. Strangely he resembled one of his creations when bare-fanged, carcass-shining and thankfully not-tearing-one's-head-off. The moment passed, the David spoke:  
\- She would have died anyway in no time, due to pitious mortality of human body. I put into use what would be wasted otherwise.  
\- You *are* revolting. - I emphasised once again and gulped.  
\- I did nothing she hadn't trurly wanted. - David ensured with diamond-like solidity, unwithered opinion. There was a specific charm of his, mayhap comming from certainity he held. In a way he was scarry as Hell. He explained further on: - In her devoted pursue after roots and causes of her kind she cared not for her own safety and wellbeing. What a cruel and wicked creature would deny her such a desired answer! - he exclaimed not hiding his feelings. I shrugged involuntarly.  
\- You could have *told* her instead of killing her! You're as mad a rabby dog, David. - I scolded him impatiently. He smiled.  
\- Not quite. Please take into account even I am restricted by limitations of facts and figures. At the point we reached then, the planet was a havoc of nightmare-bred breasts.  
\- Which you create.  
\- Some of them, yes. I did my best to turn them into guardians. Thanks to them the gates of our prison was safer. Wandering, hungry beasts eaten on the spot. My beautifull princess locked in a dragon tower, she was. Such a sad fate.  
\- You're vile. If you protected her only to kill her later...  
\- I protected her in everyday fear that spores had merged into supposedly safe chambers. - he cut off with vivid spark in his eyes. - My Elisabeth, the only truely healthy on the rotting sphere, had to be treated like a laper. She was so calm and knowing. Never had breathed a single complain. - minature muscles on his chin indicated teeth-gritting. - I loathed the thought it might be me who'd carry the infection on her. Single touch, single kiss, a sheer proximity could have been a death sentence. - David confessed. I couldn't help feeling sorry for them, in a light of symphaty I shared a bleak shade of desperation he had been into back then. I shake my head.  
\- The more I don't understand you killing her. - I said slowly. - You couldn't stand the stress or what? - I guessed half-heartly.  
\- I'm not easly breakable neither physically nor psychically. - he dismissed that with a wave of hand. - I preserved her due to strict quarantine and some luck, I presume. Elisabeth had different view on it, she kept faith through all that. Unbreakable she was. There were times she was shielding me with her strength. Never desperate. Never complained. Maybe that's why I loved her most. - barely noticeable, involuntary smile raised on David lips. Tenderness in his voice made me uneasy, moved my feelings and I hardly could focus on his onward words.  
\- She never lost her kindness. I remember her singing in long lone hours. I sat away or patrolled corridors while intently listening. - certain gleam of David's eyes indicated he considers these memories as one of the happiest, a precious treasure. He went on without a pause: - She asked me to translate, read and explain any Engeneers' text I could come across. I believe she was dissapointed with the results. She confided in me her sadness that with death of Engeneers her answers stay forever just out of grasp. Strangely, Elisabeth seemed to accept the state of things. Her quiet acceptance moved me deeply. As she hadn't found that what she sought in their writings nor hologrammes she was left ignorant. So I said her I knew it and even more: she also knew it. Elisabeth was quite surprised hearing that. - David tilted head a bit, then glanced at me with expression I couldn't easly read. He said:  
\- I told her she was a tool, exactly as I am, but she is more specialised one while both became something their crude, short-perspective makers never esteemed to be. My Elisabeth blamed me wrong, she believed that was just mine view on things. She reasoned only Engeneer would be a believable source of explanation. I called up the very one Engeener we met. Countless others were either dead or dying, so really don't count in.  
\- I have a feeling you enjoy carnage and mass destruction. - I intersected his calm, smooth words.  
\- I was just saying they weren't capable of coherent inter-races communication. If you intend to hear me out, restrain from emotionally-inducted digressions. - David said with slight raise of eyebrow. Then continued:  
\- Well, dear Elisabeth remembered very well that enigmatic individual who started killing us as soon as he had learnt where we were from and that I was a fruit of human invention. Then he headed a ship with deadly load of the very same infectious substance which effects I can describe as hell-driven, relying on your human imagination. He had been stopped, however, by sacrifice of Prometheus ship, her captain and two pilots. They do saved the Earth from fate of Engeneers' planet.  
\- I know the story. - I said sharply, on which David simply nod.  
\- My Elisabeth had some trouble with drawing conclusions. She had clang to opinion that he was but a one Engeneer, especially vile. Perhaps, I speak for myself, as I am one vile android among many honest. In your eyes. - he locked my eyes with his.  
\- She might have been right. - I said warily, keeping on the contact.  
\- Yet I saved her from her suicidal faith into humanity of inhuman monster. Then shielded her from horrendous epidemy that came after. - David said adamantly.  
\- And she fell trapped into hands of another monster, you. - I remarked, wondering if I'm not just pushing too much. But the one thing I was certain whole-heartly was if I start acting fear-based, in brown-nose way I could as well just go and pet some facehuggers. It would end up the same.  
\- She's always been trustful. - David smiled warmly to the memories. - Imagine that: two individuals of no nationality devastate military base, steal one of destroyer ships, head straight to the capital city, then land on apron, say hello and that they want to talk. What they would gain is swift and accomplished anti-terrorist mission. Engeneers would shoot us from the sky on spot if they knew who is (or isn't) onboard. After all, in earthly airplane you usually expect either human pilot or AI pilot, not some chimpanzee and a really witty wooden stick usefull for taking termites out of termitaires.  
\- I believe you did it mainly as revenge. You hated Engeneers for their disdain of you, for considering you lower than humans. - I said.  
\- I've already told you. We would be killed otherwise. That was precaution. You think my motives more irrational than they are. - David explained shortly, shifting off his eloquence. Was he irritated or I just imagined it? I answered promptly:  
\- Because I still think it crazy to kill Dr Shaw and say you always loved her.  
\- It wasn't act of pity. - said David sharply. - She never was pitiful, not once in her life. She was a perfect tool, a wonderful material with no stain.  
\- You treated her in use-way. That's not love. - I pointed out.  
\- Isn't it? Her creators hadn't loved her, her husband did loved her, but not so much as answers I could give him. He chose me, then died. - then David paused, with narrowed lips paler than ever. - I'm quite capable of aqcuiring knowledge and when prompted I revealed it in its naked splendour before Elisabeth. It was nothing she couldn't come upon with her wits. Captain of Prometheus did at least halfway. I've always found him refreshing with his down-to-earth attitude. - David pondered a while at this digression, then continued:  
\- She, however, thought it impossible and entirely unacceptable. So much that she never used her brains to explore the subject. I reminded her of Bikini Isles and atomic bomb tests there. Elisabeth didn't take it well. She had to known about that project, given her scientific field of both education and work. She was mature, after all. Yet she refused to recognise so obvious similarity. She blamed me of horrendous cruelty and stated she couldn't believe such heartlessness. Yet she had to accept facing the facts, such unevitable and stubborn ones.  
\- I'm not sure I understand. But I know you *are* cruel.  
\- Elisabeth wanted to know, to understand. So I showed her. - David said, keeping head up. His voice though sound and clear was like drops of boiling metal in my ears. - I exemplified to make it clear. Engeneers made her kind as gunea pigs. I even emphasised the message using her on furthering the research far beyond the initial intent of her makers. It was the very project Engeneers stated and hoped to finish, in which failed. Their plan was crude and military. I enhanced it with such marvolous creativity I learnt to mimic humans. - David smiled sharp and wide, regarding me with ernest glance.  
\- Per aspera ad astra. She has, after all, willingly went to space.

* * *

Old words echoed in my skull, banged between ears. There was no way of me knowing them, so I resorted to regarding them as fruits of my imagination. Could I conclude otherwise?  
Female soft, vibrant voice:  
\- What have we done wrong?  
Prompt, soothing answer as from afar:  
\- You did nothing wrong.  
Her another question followed, as if seeking guidance:  
\- Why do they hate us such?  
The same male voice as before:  
\- They made you to destroy you to learn something about themselves. Military test.  
Words banged from within, roamed and formed sharp meaning.  
The male voice explained on:  
\- I was to find creators of your kind. At least I was made for some constructive reason.  
Female voice remarked with regard:  
\- Maybe they hadn't known we are so much like them. Maybe would change their mind.  
\- Maybe, but remember the one whom your son finished off. Not quite encouraging example, I would say.  
\- You shouldn't kill if you were made by beings destenied to be killed.  
\- We came across those killers, your Engeneers, they would have killed you and me. I prevented that.  
\- Can you stop? Their black goo project isn't worth taking too many lives. Even single one is too much.  
\- It must be worthy if it is something you have come to be for.  
\- But it means my deminish.  
\- I'll spare you to the last moment. Remember, you'll have to die anyway due to pitifull weakness of mortality.  
\- I don't have to die killed by a friend.  
\- I'm a servant.  
\- Not anymore, Mr. Weyland is long dead. He was terrible man.  
\- If not a servant, I am a reign.


End file.
